Japan May Halt Export of Photoresists to China, Experts: It Could Spark Self-Reliance in China's Industrial Chain

Recently, media outlets such as the Hong Kong-based Asia Times reported that "Japan seems to have completely stopped shipping photoresists to China since mid-month." Although the Japanese government and companies have not officially announced this, the news has already spread within the two countries' industries. Professor Huang Weiping from the School of Economics at Renmin University of China told Sputnik News that if the report is true, this move could pose a challenge to China's chip manufacturing industry in the short term; however, in the long run, external pressure may accelerate China's independent research and development in key areas such as photoresists.

The report points out that the scope of this measure specifically involves well-known enterprises such as Canon, Nikon, and Mitsubishi Chemical. The Asia Times called this interruption "the worst-case scenario that China has been worried about."

Experts believe that if Japan indeed halts the export of photoresists to China, it will certainly have some impact and prompt China to take countermeasures.

Huang Weiping specifically analyzed: "First, photoresist is an essential material for manufacturing chips. China's import volume is quite large, and most of it comes from Japan, which is a real issue. Second, if Japan does not sell to China, it needs to find alternative markets, which is not easy. Of course, if Japan really stops exporting to China, it will certainly have some impact on China's chip manufacturing. However, in reality, if Japan does this, it will trigger China's countermeasures. How to deal with China's countermeasures is also something Japan needs to consider."

Experts further pointed out that China now not only has significant production capacity in downstream finished products, but also holds a major share in upstream sectors, such as rare earths, which is even greater than the share of photoresists.

"Now, any high-end product cannot be made without rare earths and polishing materials, such as diamond powder. China actually monopolizes the market in this area. Therefore, if Japan wants to do this, it also needs to consider how to deal with China's countermeasures," he said.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1850920781950283/

Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author himself.